Have you ever known someone to only act a certain way when they are around others or when they know that they are being watched? They might only act this way under these circumstances but any other time they act completely different.

Or maybe you have or have had a pet which was always obedient and well behaved while you were with it, but when no one was around they weren’t. One of our dogs was like this. We would generally try to not feed the dogs food that came directly off of our plates because we didn’t want them to steal food that wasn’t theirs, so during lunch or supper they would learn to sit and watch us eat. They might have stared at us longingly for some scraps, but they would not go up to the table and grab the food right off of the plates. 

Now, other times we would set some food on a plate and leave it somewhere and leave the room, just to see what they would do. We would go somewhere where we knew that our dog wouldn’t see us, and we would watch. After a short amount of time just laying on the floor staring at the food our dog would slowly creep up to the plate and carefully pick off everything and then lay back down. We would then walk back into the room, stare at the plate, and then back at our dog who would then slowly get up and guiltily walk out of the room, because they knew that they had done something wrong

And there are certain individuals like this who only do things when they are around others who can see their actions, but these types of people were not the Philippian church. 

Philippians 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

The Philippian church was a group of people who were obedient to the Word of God all the time, whether Paul was there or not to watch over them, it didn’t matter. They were people who were self motivated to keep themselves on the straight and narrow path and didn’t need someone to stand over them and tell them how they needed to live and act, and this brought Paul great joy.

1 Corinthians 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

The words steadfast and unmovable mean nearly the same thing, as steadfast means “fixed or unchanging, or firmly loyal or consistent,” while unmovable means “incapable of being emotionally moved or persuaded.” We are called to have those qualities in our faith, so that there will be nothing that can change our faith in Christ, or cause us to do something that is displeasing to the Lord. 

When we look at the lives of the apostles and disciples of the Lord we will notice a single theme that they all shared, in that they didn’t need someone watching them to get things done. They didn’t act a certain way while people were watching them, and then as soon as they were by themselves act completely different. They were the same all the time, serving the Lord truthfully and faithfully from their hearts. 

Even though others out in the world may not see everything that we do, God certainly does, and it is for Him that we need to live for. All the time, every day. Every hour, every breath that we take, we need to dedicate our lives in service for Him, because in the end it is only Him that we serve. We need to seek the praise of Him, and abide in His teachings at all times, not just when others are watching. 

In Christ

Andrew

What were some things which you may have done as a child, but now that you are an adult do not do anymore? Maybe you would play with certain types of action figure toys, or finger paint, or other things that a child might do. But now that you have grown into an adult you have moved on to other things that are more suited for your age. 

Some people may develop bad or unhealthy habits as a child, and these can vary greatly, but may include teeth grinding, thumb sucking, scab picking etc, but when they grow older they learn to overcome and defeat those habits so that they no longer do those things anymore. And that is good, because if you are able to overcome certain habits that aren’t good then you will know what you need to do when it comes to overcoming sin.

Colossians 3:5-10  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

All of these things that Paul mentioned are sins which need to be overcome and put away in our lives. Like a bad habit that needs to be broken, sin is a habit that needs to be overcome so that we are no longer abiding in God’s wrath. It may not be easy, as habits are not always ready to break, but if we diligently work at overcoming our faults and mistakes we will prevail.

You may have been someone who lied often about things in your past, but when you seek to serve the Lord you will learn to speak the truth. You may have been someone who was filled with malice and hatred before coming to Christ, but in order to overcome that sinful habit you will need to learn how to love others. You need to become different than the way you used to be to become a new man.

Ephesians 4:22-29  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Just as the trees shed their leaves on the fall, we need to shed those bad habits of sin and remove them completely from ourselves so that we can begin anew once again, free from our old sins. It is a process that may take time, but through the help of the Lord Jesus we can become overcomers of our sins. We who used to sin will have learned to sin no more, and that is how we need to be. 

In Christ

Andrew

When you go to work at most jobs, the expectation is that you are going to receive payment for you effort, right? If you have someone come over and cut your lawn, or shovel your driveway, don’t you think that they deserve some kind of compensation for their time and work? They provided a service and really they have earned the right to receive something back in return. It may not always be money, but something that is worth something to them.

But why is it that some people seem to think that someone such as a preacher do not require or deserve some kind of compensation or gift for their service of the Lord? Why is it that some people think that a pastor should have to go out and do extra work somewhere if they want money to live on? Isn’t their time just the same as someone who cuts a lawn, or bags your groceries? I would say that their time is far more valuable in fact, because the service that they provide is something that will benefit an individual after they die.

This is what Paul was explaining in his letter to the Corinthians, that if he preached the gospel to them, was it such a difficult thing for them to support him with the things that he required? 

1 Corinthians 9:7-14  Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?  Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

We see how Paul used the example of something as simple as an ox, how if they spent their days plowing a field and harvesting the crops, wouldn’t they have fed that creature as a payment or reward? Or a worker showing a field with seeds, wouldn’t they post them for their work? How much more then shouldn’t Paul have received some kind of compensation for his time? He was certainly deserving of some kind of reward for his work, but Paul didn’t demand this of anyone, as he made clear in other parts of the Bible. He could take care of himself, if need be, and wouldn’t make himself a burden to others, if they felt that supporting him was a grevious task.

But think of it as this: who is more deserving to be rewarded or compensated, someone who paints your house which will eventually get old and decrepit and torn down anyway, or someone who preached the gospel to you which will last you an eternity in Heaven? There really should be no debate, the Kingdom of Heaven is a priceless destination that is worth everything that you have, so help take care of those who help you to grow in your faith. They are certainly deserving of it.

In Christ

Andrew

Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.

Many years ago, Andrew and my family wanted me to spend some money on some fruit trees.  I thought it would be nice to have because all you have to do is pick them when they are ripe.  We saved up for a month or two, and then I finally ordered them.  One day they finally arrived on a truck and Andrew planted them diligently behind our garden.  Each year when we checked on their progress, nothing seemed to be happening.  I kept asking Andrew how long it was going to take until the trees produced something that we could eat. He just simply looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. The years continued to pass by with nothing on the branches, and I finally told Andrew that you might as well cut them down and plant something else there.  

This reminds me of the Christian life.

What do you do with trees that don’t not produce fruit?  They’re really just a waste of space.  Might as well use them for firewood, and cut them down.

Luke 13:1-9  There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:   And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Repentance is required in order to inherit eternal life. As we spoke about recently it begins with confession.  To get to the point of admitting faults, we must possess contrition. Genuine repentance is defined in the dictionary as having sincere regret and remorse for something wrong that you have done.  Some people demand change before forgiveness will be granted by them, but that’s because they are not of God.  That would be attempting to earn the gift of God’s mercy by your own works, rather than through the goodness of God’s grace.  We learn this by studying Matthew 18, when a servant was forgiven of a massive debt upon his confession.  We learn the exact same thing in the parable of the prodigal son when his father didn’t demand that he make reparations for what he had done, but completely forgave him upon his confession. 

Forgiveness is something that you cannot earn from someone. Forgiveness is something that is freely given to you by someone.  Do they deserve it? Of course not, but neither do you!  Those who are bitter enough to reject forgiving others will not be forgiven by God.  As I’ve said many times, that would be a territory that I wouldn’t never want to venture into with God.  Scripture clearly teaches us that when we get forgiven for our sins, we are not supposed to receive God’s grace in vain.  He completely and freely pardons us from all of our past misdeeds, but one must remember to never receive the grace of God in vain.  When you get forgiven God, He wants to see a change eventually happen in our lives.  He’s waiting to see results and the fruits of repentance.

Once the free gift of God’s grace is granted to us, we need to begin the process of change.  We need to convert to His will rather than our own.  We don’t want to continue repenting from dead works over and over again.  We don’t want to have to keep apologizing for things that we haven’t mastered yet, but eventually attain the level of perfection that God wants to see in our lives.  God grants us grace when we need it, but it’s given so that we can become an overcomer.  It is granted so that we can go and sin no more.  This is the high calling of God, the plateau that we much finally reach if Eternal life is our goal. God is very merciful, long suffering, patiently waiting for the new creature to appear.

Repentance is about bringing forth good fruits, the fruits of goodness, righteousness and Truth, rather than the works of sin, darkness, and evil.  Grace must never be received in vain,  but used to produced fruits that are worthy of repentance.

Matthew 3:7-10  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

If the precious grace of Christ, doesn’t result in eventual freedom from sinful living, then like a fruitless tree, they will be cut down themselves.  The Apostle Paul received God’s grace, and look at the major changes that happened in his life.  A man who was trying to stop the things of Christ, began to preach the things of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Pauls life is an example of genuine repentance towards God. He quickly recognized when people within the church we’re not repenting, because his own life had undergone that process.  He understood what Godly sorrow was, and the results that it produced, because he possessed it.  There was no fooling Paul, because he had been there.

2 Corinthians 7:8-10  For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.  Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

True repentance will generate the fruit of righteousness.

Romans 6:19-22  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Ephesians 5:9  For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

Some people in the church won’t repent.  They will refuse to convert and bring forth the fruits of obedience towards Christ, which is the reason why He shed His blood for us on the cross.  Through their disobedience, they only prove that they are unworthy of eternal life, and were created to be taken and destroyed

2 Peter 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Jude 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

As the Lord Jesus taught, repent or perish.  The axe is sitting by the root of the trees, and if fruits of repentance don’t appear in people’s lives,… God is going to pick it up, and…….

……Cut them Down

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

I have read about many different groups arguing about what day is the Sabbath, and what should be done on that day. For some groups they believe that the Sabbath is Saturday, as it is the last day of the week in our current calendar, and then I have heard some argue that it is Sunday, because they believe that around the time of Christ that Sunday was actually the last day of the week, or something along that line of thought. And I have heard these arguments get quite heated, but what they seem to fail to recognize is that the Sabbath is a day like all of the others. So whether a person chooses to set aside a certain day as their time to worship the Lord, or whether it is every day if that it their choice, you must always remember the words that Jesus spoke.

Mark 2:27  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

In the Old Testament, on the Sabbath day there were certain things that a person was required to keep. On the Sabbath, no work was to be done, for example. The other six days of the week were to be used to do all of your work, but on the Sabbath if someone did any work it was commanded that they be put to death (Exodus 35:2). And this is where people need to understand the time that we are in right now. All of the Old Testament Law, including those laws about the Sabbath day, they have all been taken away. All of those laws such as the eating or not eating of certain creatures, and the observance of holy certain days, feast days etc, those were all taken away by Jesus’ death on the cross. 

So now with all of those laws taken away, we have received the gift of grace. We have been set free from those restrictions that were once required to be kept, and Jesus showed in his conversation with the Pharisees that the Sabbath is a day to do good on, and that was we had just read earlier, man was not made for the Sabbath.

Luke 6:1-10  And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.  And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?  And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;  How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?  And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.  And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.  But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.  Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?   And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Here the Pharisees had been so legalistic about keeping the law, but Jesus explained that the Sabbath day is a day to be used for good, and on that day Jesus healed a man. Which when you think about it, we are supposed to do good every day, not just a single moment, but all the time we should do good. And since that is the case, couldn’t we just say that every day could be our day that we dedicate to the Lord? Not just Saturday, or Sunday, but why not any of the other days? 

You have to remember that the Apostle Paul was himself a Pharisee, and after his conversion he realized the truth that Jesus had released everyone from the burdens of the Law, and he wrote to not let anyone judge another in respect to the keeping of holy days and the Sabbath that they had been commanded to keep as Jews.

Colossians 2:16-17  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:   Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

If you choose to set aside a certain day to worship the Lord, that is wonderful! If you choose to worship Him each of the seven days of the week, wonderful! But to sit and fight and argue and bicker about a day which the Lord has created for us to enjoy and do good on, it just shouldn’t happen. Because “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

In Christ

Andrew 

Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Matthew.

Matthew 18:15-20  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

This passage teaches us that confessing faults to God and others is a huge part of the Christian faith.  If someone expresses displeasure in something that you have done towards them, genuine charity will humbly and quickly seek their forgiveness. Even letting a day pass without apologizing, reveals the hardness of one’s heart.  Some people actually believe that they can confess faults to God, and reject apologizing to a brother that they have wronged. This belief is heresy, and unless one repents of it, it will only lead down the road to damnation. Jesus gives certain commands concerning confession in the passage.  It teaches us that people must confess fault, otherwise they are completely closing themself off from forgiveness with others.  Confession must happen before the healing process of forgiveness can even take place.  Refusing to admit fault only reveals an impenitent heart that is filled with pride. If people don’t seek forgiveness with others, then they are not going to find forgiveness with others.  To obtain forgiveness with God we too must confess our faults to Him.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalms 32:5  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Just as one acknowledges his faults to God, they must also confess faults to each other.

James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

In the church, once apologies are made, and forgiveness is mercifully granted, we can join together and wash our sins away by having Holy Communion with each other.  This is the outward sign of complete reconciliation to a brother and with God, a fulfillment of biblical requirements from scripture. The failure to admit fault is caused by a lack of genuine charity for those whom you have wronged. When you are aware that you have hurt others, the Christian response should be to immediately seek forgiveness.  You should feel sorry for those you have wronged, even if what you did was unintentionally.  

Psalms 38:18  For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

The refusal to confess fault results from inner pride, which is one of the snares of the devil, and as we learn today it can cause a huge rift in relationships.  The Lord Jesus commands that if someone continues on a course of impenitence towards a brother, and they simply refuse to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, they must be shunned.  Some people in certain churches feel that shunning is wrong, but to refuse to follow the commands of Christ in this passage would only prove that you don’t love Him, and would turn you into a heretic as well. Within the church group, others need to be aware of someone’s repetitive refusal to reconcile. Once it is well established that their heart is too proud to reach out and apologize, then they need to be completely rejected.  After all, the same thing is going to happen to the impenitent on judgment Day. People such as these deny what Jesus teaches in the New Testament. They are not even to be treated as a Christian anymore, but like unto a heathen, which is somebody who really doesn’t believe in scripture.  They may claim to be a follower of the Lord, but they are outside the doctrines of our faith.  That’s why I’ve always taught that if you are aware that a brother is upset with you for something you have done, you need to apologize as quickly as you possibly can. This is so the requirement of confession is obediently completed in the sight of God.  Responsibility for the rest is then transferred unto them, and if they choose not to forgive and reconcile, God will not forgive them of their sins, for which they will receive eternal punishment.

Impenitence is not feeling sorrow inside of your heart. An impenitent person can be described as unrepentant, ruthless, cruel, remorseless, evil, reprobate, shameless, hard-hearted, heartless and unfeeling. A heathen is very much like an infidel who is someone who doesn’t believe in the central doctrines of our faith such as confession of faults.  They need to be treated very much like a heretic, which is someone who claims to be a believer in Christ yet they maintain religious opinions completely contrary to those that are found in Holy Scripture.

Titus 3:10-11  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

As I’ve always taught, pride is a killer.  It can cause somebody to completely close off their heart when they hurt someone. The church is supposed to be a place filled with love, and when confession isn’t happening, love isn’t happening.  Sometimes people will refuse to apologize because certain events seem trivial or unimportant in their own mind, but the truth is that it mattered to the person who was offended.  Instead of humbly lowering oneself, and being sensitive to somebody else’s concerns, they loft themselves over them in pride.  Unless they seek reconciliation as commanded by Christ, it can result in the loss of their soul.

Matthew 5:23-24  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

The unwillingness to reconcile is a precursor to God’s wrath.

Romans 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Matthew 16:18-19  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Peter was given the ability to bind and loose, as is given to the body of Christ.

For some people, forgiveness will never happen because of their own arrogance.  If they refuse to apologize and seek reconciliation, then they clearly are outside the teachings of Christ, and abide in His wrath.  Their willful disobedience to the will of God only proves that they hate Him.  Like eternal separation on judgment day, there is only one thing that you can do with these types of people.  Look away, close the doors, and turn…..

…….The Keys

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

tlkjbc.com

Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.

In between the North and South islands of New Zealand, there is a stretch of water that is considered to be one of the most dangerous and unpredictable in the world.  It connects the Tasman sea with the South Pacific Ocean.  The strait was named after James Cook, who is considered to be the very first European commander to sail through it back in 1770.  This strait is situated in a very strong area of wind, in latitudes that have become commonly known as the roaring forties. As these strong winds are enclosed between the natural mountains of the islands, it results in a wind tunnel effect, which can create very large waves. At certain times, big swells can be produced very quickly, developing into what has become known as the Karori Rip, where the high winds, the sea, and the tide all meet together in a tempest union. Two of New Zealand’s worst catastrophes at sea happened when in 1909 the inter-island ferry, the Penguin, was wrecked south of Wellington, and in 1968 the Wahine did the same thing at the entrance of Wellington harbor.  

This reminds me of the Christian life.

The path to eternal life is very narrow, and just like the Cook Strait, there are many things that can completely surround us when we begin to navigate the narrow passage way of Christ.  At times we can be surrounded by sin, just like waves crashing over the deck.  We can be hounded by evil speech that whistles through the main sheet like a ferocious wind. But we must patiently endure whatever storms may come our way if we are eventually going to reach the other side.

Hebrews 12:1-4  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

To be ” compassed by witnesses ” means that you are surrounded, encircled or enclosed on all sides by them.  You might say that the chairs compass the kitchen table.  When sin besets us, it too means that we are surrounded, attacked from all sides or harassed and besieged.  Everywhere we look, sin is present in this evil world.  Temptations lurk around every corner. As we seek to perfect our faith, numerous people will attempt to try to get you to fall down, or cause you to suffer in some manner.  They persecute and harass, and speak evil about you.   They make the attempt to trip you up, so that you will not complete the course that God has placed you on.  When this happens, we must get back on our feet and continue to patiently run the race that is set before us.

1 Corinthians 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

The Christian life is about striving to win the prize of eternal life. To strive after something means to make great efforts to achieve and to obtain your goal; to struggle and fight victoriously, or to make every effort towards achieving what you desire.  It means to devote serious energy towards fighting off any difficulties that may come against you.

Luke 13:23-24  Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

To strive means we must contend for the faith.

Jude 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Remember that the Lord Jesus died on the cross to give us the opportunity to enter the Christian race.  It’s very similar to somebody paying your entrance fee that you couldn’t pay on your own.  Because of what He did, we can now participate in the greatest marathon of all time, but we must run to win.  As our precious benefactor, we don’t want to let Him down.  There are many people who profess Christianity who live their lives as though they have already obtained eternal salvation, but we haven’t completed the race yet. We haven’t even crossed the finish line on judgment day.  Even the Apostle Paul taught that he didn’t live his life as though he had already attained.

Philippians 3:11-14  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We are saved by hope, but many people have a misconception of what hope really is.  Hope is waiting for something that you have not received yet.  If you’ve already received it, it would negate the responsibility of a Christian to run the Christian race, to strive after perfection, and to eventually cross the finish line through our faithful and obedient lives of love towards God.  Many Jews felt like they were going to heaven because they had been circumcised, but some of them were not bringing forth the fruit of repentance such as a changed life and a changed heart.  Many people who are baptized are the same way today. Remember that baptism is simply the first step of thousands in the Christian walk.  It is only the beginning, not the end.

Romans 8:24-25  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

There are great struggles that competitors have to face when they race in a competition. Swimmers might occasionally get stung by a jellyfish.  A sled dog musher might fall through the ice.  But no matter what sufferings we might face, we must persevere to win.  

We are not to faint, becoming utterly exhausted, and weary because of the sins that other people commit against us.  Rather, we are to rise up as a good soldier of Christ, and fight the battle of faith.  No matter what happens, we must diligently and obediently serve God if we truly want to obtain the promise of eternal life.

Hebrews 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Remember that Jesus didn’t do anything wrong to anybody, but was bombarded on all sides by people who did evil to him.  People hated Him for speaking the truth, but He suffered and endured, even the death of the cross which was the most unjust thing that has ever been perpetrated upon this Earth.  Just like a ship traversing the ocean, occasionally those who choose to walk the Christian life will experience rough seas, but when those times come, you will need to stand fast, and consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. You are going to have to ride out the storm.  You will need to batten down the hatches. You must begin to furl the sails in full preperation for any sin that the world might throw your way.  

If you want to make an attempt at the narrow passageway of faith, remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and peace after every storm.  We must patiently endure sufferings if we are ever going to reach the other side of…..

……The Cook Strait

Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.

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Have you ever been walking through the forest, just admiring all of the trees, leaves and animals, when all of a sudden you felt a sharp pain on your face, and your eyes began to water? What happened is that you got slapped in the face with a branch of a tree as you walked by. It hurts, doesn’t it? I have lived most of my life here in Minnesota, and I have spent many hours in the woods, and as a result I know how painful it feels when you are suddenly whipped with a tree branch as you walk by them. In fact, I find myself rather angered with this sudden burst of pain, and I will often take out my anger and frustration on that branch by breaking off the entire branch from the tree. It doesn’t actually take away the feeling of pain that I received, but it kind of gives me the feeling that I “payed back” the tree for hurting me. Now, this is a just a tree, and not a person, but that kind of a “payback” mentality is not how we are to treat others when they wrong us, as it is written several times throughout the Scriptures. 

Romans 12:17-21  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

A recompense is an equivalent returned for anything given, done, or suffered; compensation; reward; amends; requital. That which compensates for an injury, or other type of harm or damage.

I’m sure that pretty near all of us have had this kind of a revengeful feeling at some point or another. Someone did something wrong to us that angered us so much that we desired to bring about some kind of a similar pain upon them. We desired to avenge ourselves of the injury that we received, but you see, as Christians we need to resist that urge to return evil for evil. We need to not return the harm that is done towards us, but to instead allow ourselves to suffer. Some people may say this is a sign of weakness, but let me tell you that it takes far more strength to resist the urge to avenge yourself than to return the evil done towards you. Instead of avenging ourselves, we need to take the high road, and show others that love is greater than hate.

Matthew 5:38-44  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That natural feeling of self avengement needs to be thrown out of our lives, and replaced with the actions of love as we allow ourselves to go through suffering. Just like Christ, we need to just allow ourselves to be persecuted, because we know that in the end God will avenge us. 

Suffering is a part of being a Christian. It is as simple as that. But know this, your reward will be great in Heaven. So the next time that you are made to suffer or to go through pain at the hands of others, just allow it to happen, and remember, vengeance belongs to the Lord.

In Christ

Andrew

Matthew 19:29-30  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

I had read a book a while ago, and it was about a group of missionaries who had gone to preach the gospel to the tribespeople in the Amazon rainforest. Along with preaching, they had begun helping the tribes to build better homes, create better wells, and give them better clothes.

But there was one thing that stuck in my mind over all of the other things. The missionaries had given those tribes some seeds like wheat and corn for them to plant, raise, and harvest to procure more food, but instead of planting those seeds and doing just that, do you know what they did with those seeds? They ate them! Instead of giving those seeds up to be planted in the ground so they could produce more, they chose to eat them right there and then. They could have had hundreds of times more than what they started with in just a few months time, but they didn’t. They had made the decision to eat what they had right then.

Some people just want to have things right now. They want to have everything the they can while here on this Earth, right now. Instead of giving up certain things while they are here on the Earth, they would rather get all that they can right now. But the Bible teaches us that when people choose to place the things of the world first they will be missing out on multiple times more that they could have received if they had simply placed Christ first before themselves.

Mark 8:34-37  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

When we become a Christian it means that we need to abide by the teachings that our Lord has set for us. We need to be obedient to His will, and to do this we must be able to place Him in the place of utmost importance in our lives. What does this mean? It means that we must be able to deny ourselves, and “take up our cross” to serve and follow Him.

It is a promise of the Lord that we will receive multiple blessings, thirty, sixty, one hundred times over. But we must be able to deny ourselves the things of this Earth if they are things that will lead us away from the Lord. And not just things such as money or other possessions, but even your closest family and friends, if need be. This is of course not something that we desire to do, but if those people around us are going to be a hindrance or stumblingblock to our faith in Jesus Christ, then we must do as Jesus taught, and deny ourselves by separating ourselves from them, so that we may save our souls.

What you are doing essentially is storing up life in Heaven when we can deny ourselves. In a bank, for example, you may deposit some of your money into an account, and that money will, over time, create interest, and eventually you will end up with more than you initially deposited. You may not have access to it for a certain amount of time as it sits in the bank, but you will reap the rewards later. We may have to make sacrifices during our life as a Christian, but just like the money in the bank, it will be accumulating, and growing over time, and someday we will reap the rewards of our sacrifices for the Lord. Trust me, it will be well worth the wait.

In Christ

Andrew

In the church, it is almost inevitable that we will do something at least once that results in one of our fellow believers a bit angry with a wrong that has been done towards them. We obviously do not want to do anything to sin against our brothers in the church, but in the event that it does happen it is very important that it is resolved promptly, that penitence be on one side and forgiveness be on the other.

However, should someone refuse to be filled with sorrow and penitence after they are made known of the fact that they have sinned against one of their fellow Christians, there are some things that the Lord teaches need to take place.

The first step that happens is of course the initial moment where the offender is made known of what it is that they have done wrong. That is very important, because until someone has been notified of their sins they may not realize that they have sinned against someone else. Hopefully this first step is all that it will take to bring about a peaceful end to any ill feelings and dis-harmony between the two people, but if not then the Lord teaches that it needs to be truth a step further.

Should a person refuse to acknowledge their sin that they have done against another, and refuse to apologize, Jesus taught that the offended party should take with them another person or two and tell that person again of their sin. The hope is that in the presence of another person or two that they will begin to feel ashamed of their unwillingness to repent, and will finally recognize that. But if they still will not admit their sin, then Jesus taught to take it another step further; before the entire church.

Matthew 18:15-18  “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

In the church, we should all be out the same mind, and of the same Spirit. We should all be united under the same doctrine of Christ, because there is only one. So, if it has to come to this point and this matter of unrepentant is still unresolved, Jesus taught that the matter needed to be brought before the entire church, for everyone to see. This really is the final step that can be taken, because if someone, even before the entire church, still refuses to repent of their sin against their fellow Christian believer, then there is nothing else to do than completely remove them from the church and treat them as a complete unbeliever. 

Forgiveness is one of the main points that our faith is founded on. It is because of Jesus’ forgiveness that one can now have the opportunity to have everlasting life, and this is why it is imperative that forgiveness takes place, especially amongst the church. 

John 14:21-24  “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

In order for someone to make the claim that they love the Lord, they obviously need to show that they are keeping His commandments. That is the proof of their love for Him. Faith can be shown by your actions. Love can be shown by your actions, and how you treat others. This is why in order to prove that you truly love the Lord you need to be able to be forgiving with others. If you don’t forgive, how can you say that you love Jesus, when that is exactly what He commands you to do?

There is no place for sin in the church. We all may sin, at times, but it is forgiveness that takes it away. We do not continue to sin if we really love Jesus, and we do not refuse forgiveness to those who are truly repentant. Hear the word of the Lord:

Matthew 6:9-15  “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.“

Please be forgiving. Please, if you love the Lord, hear Him. Forgive.

In Christ

Andrew